A group of people sat in the hall, and for a time, the atmosphere was somewhat suffocating.
With Lin Wujiu keeping silent, no one knew what the current situation had come to.
Li Guanqi was not in the hall; he had gone to settle Qisha.
Under the effects of medicinal pills, the heavily injured Qisha's wounds were rapidly mending.
Li Guanqi had even broken off a section of Pengluo's arm to feed him.
Only after confirming that Qisha's condition had stabilized did Li Guanqi step out of the rear courtyard and make his way toward the Lin estate's main quarter.
Along the path, Li Guanqi noticed quite a few strange looks cast his way.
Some disciples of the Lin family even frowned and pointed fingers at him as he passed.
Li Guanqi maintained his usual expression throughout. He understood clearly in his heart that their predicament this time was perilous beyond measure.
Before a behemoth like Xutian Palace, even the Lin family was simply outmatched.
Walking along the long covered corridor bridge, Li Guanqi turned the situation over in his mind.
Relying solely on the Lin family truly offered no confidence or bargaining chips.
But what if the Ran family was added to the scale?
Just as he had anticipated, Li Guanqi reached into his robes and produced a jade slip—the very one he and Ran Qingshuang had exchanged back at Ziyun Pass.
"Li Congxin!! Why did you drag Qingshuang into this?! You're going to destroy the Ran family!!!"
Ran Shiming's enraged voice echoed from the jade slip. At that moment, Ran Shiming stood before his study desk, his face livid with fury.
Li Guanqi came to a halt. Holding the jade slip, he spoke with an even voice.
"If you want the Ran family to survive, listen closely to what I have to say."
"You!"
"Speak!"
Ran Shiming gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching and unclenching, before he finally managed to calm himself.
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the pond beneath the bridge.
A fist-sized toad shot out its tongue, snapping a mosquito into its mouth.
"Set off immediately for the Linluan Realm to rendezvous with Senior Lin Jinting and his companion."
"Right now, the Ran family must stand united with the Lin family and face this together."
"As for the price, I myself will bear it."
"As for the bargaining chips at the negotiation table, that depends on what the Ran family can offer."
Pausing briefly, Li Guanqi continued in a tone laced with a clear warning.
"This time... do not entertain the illusion that the Ran family can stay out of it."
"With my methods, I can easily pin the entire affair on the Ran family. If that happens, the Ran family will truly face utter ruin."
"Even if I fail, the greatest price I would have to pay is losing a friend. With my evasive techniques, I can easily take my friend and fly far away."
"Yet Lin Wujiu and the Lin family stepped forward to help at a time like this, and so did Miss Ran..."
"It is only because I do not wish to see Xutian Palace vent its wrath on the Lin and Ran families that I am laying out this strategy for you."
"Do you understand?"
*Crash!*
Ran Shiming smashed the desk before him to pieces and surged to his feet in fury.
"A mere Heavenly Immortal dares speak to me with such brazen arrogance?! Who do you think you are?!"
Li Guanqi paid little heed to his bluster, replying with utter calm.
"I am no one, but you are welcome to test me."
"Had Miss Ran not acted with such righteousness, judging the situation with a sincere heart, this conversation would not even be taking place."
Lowering the jade slip, Li Guanqi paid Ran Shiming no further attention and strode toward the Lin family's main hall.
***
At the Ran residence.
Ran Shiming's chest heaved violently, while Ran Qingshuang stood nearby, her expression conflicted.
"I'm sorry, Father... I was too reckless."
Ran Shiming pressed his lips tight, his eyes closed as he drew deep, ragged breaths.
Only after several breaths did he calm his turbulent emotions. When he slowly opened his eyes, bitterness tinged his face.
"He has a point... Ants only appear formidable when banded together."
"If the Lin family settles this on their own, Xutian Palace will likely make an example of our Ran family."
His gaze darted as Ran Shiming rose to his feet and said in a grave voice, "I am going to the Linluan Realm!"
***
When Li Guanqi returned to the main hall, every gaze converged on him.
"How is Qisha?"
"Rest assured. His injuries are somewhat severe and he remains unconscious, but he is out of danger."
Only upon hearing this did Lin Wujiu let out a sigh of relief.
Li Guanqi bowed deeply toward Lin Changlu and Lin Ruhu.
"This time, this junior has dragged the Lin family down."
With a broad sweep of his hand, Lin Ruhu lifted Li Guanqi up.
"No need for such talk. What's done is done; there's no point dwelling on it."
Lin Changlu furrowed his brows and said in a heavy voice, "The Patriarch and the others have already reached Xutian Palace. Ran Shiming of the Ran family suddenly contacted the Patriarch!"
The moment those words were spoken, a sharp glint flashed through Lin Ruhu's eyes!
"The Ran family? If the Ran family's patriarch is present as well, we'll have more leverage!"
Lin Wujiu cast a deep, searching look at Li Guanqi.
Not long ago, the Ran family had shown no sign of movement whatsoever!
Yet in the brief span it took Li Guanqi to settle Qisha, Ran Shiming was already en route to the Linluan Realm.
*Old Li's methods truly are... unfathomable to gods and ghosts alike...*
Even Han Feng, seated off to the side, had flickering eyes.
To sway the patriarch of a major clan was no simple feat.
After all, the underlying implication was profound: by heading to the Linluan Realm, Ran Shiming had clearly chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lin family!
Such a resolution was never made in a moment of impulse.
*This Fellow Daoist Li is quite capable indeed!*
With a flick of his wrist, Li Guanqi produced the Xutian Stone.
The instant the stone appeared, Lin Changlu and Lin Ruhu both straightened their backs, an inscrutable look in their eyes.
"Is this... the Xutian Stone?"
Lin Changlu's gaze grew solemn as he glanced up at Han Feng.
With his intellect, he had likely pieced together the truth.
Xutian Palace would never issue an astronomical bounty merely over Han Feng killing a few of their people.
Li Guanqi said in a heavy voice, "This Xutian Stone is now our greatest bargaining chip. Our demand is simple: spare Qisha, and write off the recent killings as a clean slate."
Lin Changlu nodded slightly at the words.
"That may indeed be possible. What I fear most now is that Xutian Palace will simply use their overwhelming might to crush us!"
That was precisely Li Guanqi's greatest worry as well.
The hall fell into a heavy silence. After pondering for a long while, Li Guanqi suddenly spoke.
"Brother Hu, I want to go to the Linluan Realm!"
At these words, everyone present blanched in shock.
"No! Wouldn't going there be walking straight into death?"
"Absolutely not. The moment you show up, the mighty figures of Xutian Palace will suppress you, and the Xutian Stone will be snatched away!"
Only Lin Ruhu remained silent, his tiger-like eyes fixed intently on Li Guanqi's.
"Fine. I will take you!"
In Lin Ruhu's heart, the young man before him would never make a decision recklessly.
Since he proposed it, he had to have his own reasons!
Li Guanqi smiled. In his eyes, Lin Ruhu was much like Dragon King Wen Guyan.
Steeped in a heavy slaughterous aura, yet decisive in every undertaking!
Li Guanqi drew out a blank jade slip. As his immortal essence surged violently, streaks of spiritual brilliance condensed into the slip.
The power radiating from it drew startled glances from everyone present.
Waves of potent heavenly and earthly pressure gathered above the Lin manor, stirring the wind and clouds.
After a long while, Li Guanqi handed the jade slip to Lin Changlu and said softly, "Pass this to Wujiu later."
Lin Changlu swept it with his divine sense, and his heart was instantly seized with profound shock!
"This... what kind of art is this?!"
The profundity of the technique was beyond even Lin Changlu's comprehension.
The old man bounded out of his chair with a start, the look in his eyes shifting repeatedly as he stared at Li Guanqi.
Chapter 1691